OPERATOR REVIEW · Gateway Guardian Administrators, LLC
Dara
18+ minimum age per Dara's terms 19+ where state law is higher (AL, NE) state floors and our 21+ readership
The short answer
Dara
Workable for active players redeeming above the $100 minimum; avoid it if you play from IA because Dara stopped accepting players in IA on 2026-07-06.
Showing the national rating. Choose a state to see how its sweepstakes law changes the score.
Latest evidence or editorial update: .
- Where you can play
- 28 states
- Pick your state to see the answer for you.
- What we cashed out
- 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both)
- How solid our proof is
- Medium
- Useful but incomplete evidence
The Trust Score is computed from seven factors. Research status and evidence confidence describe our review, not the operator.
See all the details
- Where our review stands
- Reviewed
- Written verdict published. 3 of 7 factor inputs carry evidence an editor approved.
3 of 7 factor inputs carry evidence reviewed and approved by Noah.
What could go wrong
-
Exited IA
Dara stopped accepting players in IA on 2026-07-06.
Our state records Checked 2026-07-06 1 recorded state exit.
What BonusBandit knows that other reviews do not
- Human-confirmed payouts 5, $512 recorded across 3 First-hand test
- Operator terms reviewed June 14, 2026 Operator terms
- Owner on record Gateway Guardian Administrators, LLC Ownership record
The verdict
Dara’s reconciled record includes delivered Fiserv Bank CashOut receipts and other incomplete delivered entries, alongside cancelled or rejected attempts. The old summary saying none succeeded is outdated. Conversely, the delivered rows do not erase the unsuccessful requests.
A cancelled November request and a later receipt share an amount, but that alone does not establish their relationship or a measured turnaround. Missing dates, methods, and amounts remain explicit in the table.
The current terms distinguish total, redeemable, and unplayed SC, and separate Gold Coin replenishment from promotional entries. They also specify a document-response deadline. Dara has concrete bank-delivery evidence here, with the unmatched requests and unmeasured timing still important limits.
General information, not financial or legal advice. Rules and availability can change.
First-hand evidence
One redemption we ran with Dara
- Amount
- $259
- Received
- Jun 1, 2026
- Method
- Bank Transfer
Delivered, received date not recorded 4 more redemption records are in the full record below.
- Received date not recorded
- Payout time not measured
The complete first-hand record
First-hand tests
Each delivered redemption contributes +5 to this operator’s Track Record score, up to +20.
Most recent test Aug 3, 2026. First-hand result: 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both).
Reconciled payout record
Counts and amounts for the rows shown below
| Outcome | Count | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed delivered | 5 | $512 across 3 of 5 |
| Additional attempts or unmatched records | 4 | $122 across 1 of 4 |
Only confirmed delivered payouts produce a payout figure anywhere on this page.
Confirmed delivered payouts
5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both)
| Received | Amount | Method | Time to pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delivered, received date not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not measured |
| Delivered, received date not recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded | Not measured |
| Delivered, received date not recorded | $259.00 | Bank Transfer | Not measured |
| Nov 11, 2025 | $122.00 | Fiserv Bank CashOut | Not measured |
| Oct 9, 2025 | $131.00 | Fiserv Bank CashOut | Not measured |
Incomplete detail on 5 of 5: each gap is labelled on its row, and a figure we do not hold is left out of the totals rather than counted as zero.
Additional attempts or unmatched records
4 records, none counted as a payout
| State | Requested | Amount requested | Incomplete evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancelled or rejected, not paid | Not recorded | Not recorded | Recorded as cancelled or rejected, so it is excluded from every payout total · Amount not recorded · Method not recorded |
| Cancelled or rejected, not paid | Not recorded | Not recorded | Recorded as cancelled or rejected, so it is excluded from every payout total · Amount not recorded · Method not recorded |
| Cancelled or rejected, not paid | Not recorded | Not recorded | Recorded as cancelled or rejected, so it is excluded from every payout total · Amount not recorded · Method not recorded |
| Cancelled or rejected, not paid | Nov 10, 2025 | $122.00 | Recorded as cancelled or rejected, so it is excluded from every payout total · Method not recorded |
These are records we hold, not payouts. A redemption we requested but never watched land is not proof that Dara paid it, and a record we cannot read is not proof of anything, so nothing in this table feeds a total, a median, a payout time, or any payout wording on this page.
Daily bonus: week at a glance
Week of Aug 2–Aug 8
| Sun2 | Mon3 | Tue4 | Wed5 | Thu6 | Fri7 | Sat8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Notes & evidence (1)
Cash-out proof
5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both)
- Payout received Delivered, received date not recordedamount not recorded
Method not recorded · Payout time not measured
Public receipt copy
- Payout received Delivered, received date not recordedamount not recorded
Method not recorded · Payout time not measured
Public receipt copy
- Payout received Delivered, received date not recorded$259.00
- Method
- Bank Transfer
Payout time not measured
Public receipt copy
- Payout received Nov 11, 2025$122.00
- Method
- Fiserv Bank CashOut
Payout time not measured
Public receipt copy
- Payout received Oct 9, 2025$131.00
- Method
- Fiserv Bank CashOut
Payout time not measured
Public receipt copy
Operator response
- Median first response
- ~7.8h
- Interactions logged
- 3
- Response range
- ~0.0–17h
- Channel
As of last test Aug 3, 2026.
Support factor: 50/100. How factors are scored →
Score breakdown
Scored with the published, versioned formula: methodology v1 (scoring version e9a89dbe). Affiliate status has zero input.
3 of 7 factor inputs carry evidence reviewed and approved by Noah. Editorial review completed July 31, 2026. The published score is recomputed by the seven-factor formula from those inputs, not set by hand. What this means.
Is Dara legit? The short version
Dara has delivered bank payments and cancelled attempts; the missing fields prevent a speed estimate. Its highest-scoring factor is KYC fairness (80/100); its lowest is Redemption reliability (33/100).
HIGHER FACTOR SCORES
- KYC fairness 80
Is verification a process or a payout-avoidance wall?
- Terms honesty 75
The ToS prominently discloses mandatory arbitration and a class-action waiver in bold, capitalized text with an opt-out provision, which is…
THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS INCLUDE A MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER AGREEMENT WHICH REQUIRES THAT ANY PAST, PENDING, OR FUTURE DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND US SHALL BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND FOR YOUR LOSSES ONLY.
- Track record 75
Current first-hand record: 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both)
LOWER FACTOR SCORES
- Redemption reliability 33
Current first-hand record: 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both)
- Playthrough 50
The provided Terms of Service text does not contain any specific information about playthrough or wagering requirements for Sweeps Coins. Since the…
- Support 50
Response quality when something goes wrong
| Factor | What it measures | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Redemption reliability | Do payouts arrive, and on time? | 33 |
| KYC fairness | Is verification a process or a payout-avoidance wall? | 80 |
| Terms honesty | Do the terms match what the marketing implies? | 75 |
| Playthrough | How burdensome are wagering requirements? | 50 |
| Track record | Years operating without scandals or exits | 75 |
| Player reviews | Sustained sentiment across platforms | 71 |
| Support | Response quality when something goes wrong | 50 |
How this score is calculated
- Base score
- 60
- renormalized weighted average over 7 of 7 factors
- Freshness decay
- −0
- current, no decay
- Complaint penalty
- −0
- none
- Published score
- 60
- → Caution
The adjustments are formulas, not discretion. Methodology v1: applicable rules.
Why this score?
Open any factor to see the evidence that placed Dara in its band.
Redemption reliability 33
Current first-hand record: 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both) See source details
33/100, weak (below 50).
Scoring rationale recorded 2026-07-31 (historical)
First-hand log records 2 delivered redemptions from 3 requests, with 1 still lacking received_at. Score retained pending full rubric review.
- Review date
- July 31, 2026
- Reviewer state
- Human authored
- Some source dates are not recorded.
KYC fairness 80 Evidence in review
Evidence in review
We are reviewing evidence for this factor. It is not verified yet.
Terms honesty 75
75/100, strong (70–100).
Evidence type: Operator terms. Reviewed and approved by Noah Rafkin on June 14, 2026.
The ToS prominently discloses mandatory arbitration and a class-action waiver in bold, capitalized text with an opt-out provision, which is transparent. However, the text is truncated before the Sweepstakes Rules and redemption details are provided, so those key terms are not fully visible. The language is generally clear but contains standard boilerplate and some buried caveats (e.g., feature availability by jurisdiction), placing it in the upper-middle range.
THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS INCLUDE A MANDATORY ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER AGREEMENT WHICH REQUIRES THAT ANY PAST, PENDING, OR FUTURE DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND US SHALL BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS ONLY AND FOR YOUR LOSSES ONLY.
- Some source dates are not recorded.
Source: daracasino.com/termsConditions ↗
Playthrough 50
50/100, mixed (50–69).
Evidence type: Operator terms. Reviewed and approved by Noah Rafkin on June 14, 2026.
The provided Terms of Service text does not contain any specific information about playthrough or wagering requirements for Sweeps Coins. Since the text is silent on this factor, a conservative middle score is applied per the rubric instructions.
- Some source dates are not recorded.
Source: daracasino.com/termsConditions ↗
Track record 75
Current first-hand record: 5 confirmed payouts, $512 recorded across 3 of them (2 dated, 3 documented without a date, dollar total across both) See source details
75/100, strong (70–100).
First-hand redemptions:
- Redemption: cancelled or rejected, not paid
- Redemption: cancelled or rejected, not paid
- Redemption: cancelled or rejected, not paid
- Paid , received date not recorded
- Paid , received date not recorded
- $259 paid via Bank Transfer , received date not recorded
- $122 paid via Fiserv Bank CashOut
- $122: cancelled or rejected, not paid
- $131 paid via Fiserv Bank CashOut
Dara: delivered bank payments beside cancelled attempts
Dara has both delivered payments and cancelled or rejected attempts in our reconciled record. The older summary saying no redemptions succeeded no longer describes that record. The delivered table includes Fiserv Bank CashOut entries from October and November 2025 and other entries with missing dates or amounts.
That correction does not erase the unsuccessful attempts. We reviewed both groups and the current public terms on September 7, 2026. The result is a mixed account history with proof of delivery and significant missing detail, rather than either an all-success or all-failure account.
The November request and receipt must be matched carefully
The record contains a cancelled November 10 request and a November 11 delivered Fiserv entry with the same recorded amount. The shared amount and adjacent dates are useful reconciliation clues. They do not, by themselves, prove that the later payment was the replacement for that particular cancelled request.
The October Fiserv receipt adds another dated delivered observation. Other confirmed entries lack a received date, and some also lack an amount or method. Those gaps explain why the delivered count and the subset contributing to the monetary total differ. Missing values are not zero-value payments.
None of the delivered entries has the paired timestamps required for a speed measurement. In particular, subtracting the cancelled request’s date from a later receipt would manufacture a turnaround unless those records are conclusively connected. The page keeps the delivered evidence while leaving speed unmeasured.
Account approval and support did not resolve every record
The June summary records verification approval and several support interactions with different first-response intervals. Those observations establish contact and an approved account status. They do not identify the final outcome of every cancelled request or the reason for each cancellation.
A useful next step in documenting this history would be to match the individual request identifiers with final bank entries. That would resolve more than another general statement that the account was verified. The payout study relies on those completed timelines when measuring speed.
Dara exposes total, redeemable, and unplayed balances
The Terms and Conditions loaded in a browser as version 6.4, updated July 14, 2026. They describe clicking the SC balance to see total, redeemable, and unplayed amounts. Those categories explain why the headline balance is not necessarily the amount available for a prize request.
The same document describes a Gold Coin replenishment feature when the entertainment balance is insufficient for a round. That feature should not be mistaken for unlimited redeemable SC. Gold Coins and promotional entries serve different purposes even when both appear in the same account.
We have not personally tested every current balance or replenishment feature. The terms supply that explanation; our older receipts supply payment evidence. A reader should use the current account labels to understand a present balance instead of assuming that an old Fiserv receipt verifies today’s entire interface.
Document requests have a separate deadline
The current terms allow requests for identity, address, and source-of-income documents and specify a ten-day response period before the operator may discontinue verification or restrict the account. That is a published condition, not a measured Dara payout time.
If a request remains pending, preserve the specific document request and its date. An earlier approval message may concern a different stage. Our historical bank deliveries do not establish that every future request is exempt from new checks.
The document also distinguishes jurisdiction-specific Gold Coin-only access from promotional sweepstakes features. A page loading successfully does not establish that its prize modes are available in the reader’s current location. Check the account’s permitted features with the current rules and state information.
The daily grid should not be smoothed into a fixed reward
Our early-August daily grid contains explicit zeroes followed by positive observations. Those zeroes are recorded outcomes, not empty cells. We have not established the reason for the variation, and the sample does not support a fixed daily amount extrapolated across a month.
General information only, not financial or legal advice. Rules, features, and availability can change; consult a qualified professional where needed.
BonusBandit editorial · updated September 7, 2026. First-hand results come from our recorded tests. Operator rules and correspondence are separately attributed and dated in these notes.
Terms and offer facts
- Minimum redemption
- $100 catalog median $100
- States accepted
- 28 1 exited, listed below
Read off Dara's own terms, June 14, 2026. Dara Terms of Service ↗
Where Dara accepts players
AK · AL · AR · CO · DC · GA · HI · KS · KY · MA · MN · MO · MS · NC · ND · NE · NH · NM · OH · OR · RI · SC · SD · TX · VA · VT · WI · WY
Exited: IA (2026-07-06). See what state exits mean for your balance.
Availability changes as state laws change. Check the tracker for your state.
Bonus & features
Site features as observed Jun 23, 2026 · source (daracasino.com) ↗ · offers change. Verify on-site before depositing.
Recurring promotions
1 ongoing
- Daily Daily Login Bonus : Free SC every 24 hours
Site features
- Support
- Live chatEmail 24/7
What's the daily bonus really worth?
A daily bonus is free play, but its real worth depends on how hard it is to clear and whether Dara actually pays out.
Payouts documented by us. View the payout basis dated 2026-06-01.
Cash projections are withheld. Coin totals assume the observed reward repeats; wagering, game returns, eligibility and redemption rules determine what can be redeemed. A factor score does not establish a wagering multiplier.
| Period | GC accumulated | SC accumulated | Cash estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | – | 0.5 | withheld |
| 30 days | – | 2.1 | withheld |
| 365 days (annualized) | – | 26.1 | withheld |
Coin totals are a projection from the days we logged, and they assume you claim the bonus every day. Daily bonuses change often; values shown as of 2026-08-08.
Source: Averaged in person over 7 logged observations (2026-08-02 → 2026-08-08). See the full first-hand log. See more daily-bonus value comparisons →
What's a purchase really worth?
We do not yet have enough first-hand evidence to estimate purchase value, effective playthrough, or redemption success for this operator.
What we hold for Dara: 0 logged packages · 0 completed purchase-to-payout cycles · 5 delivered redemptions.
We model coin value only from packages we paid for ourselves, and only once there is a payout record showing the coins can be collected. Until we have bought and logged a coin package at Dara, there is nothing here to model from.
What the factor scores do say: our terms review scores this operator's playthrough language at 50/100, and redemption reliability scores 33/100. A playthrough score rates how squarely the terms commit to a wagering multiplier, not the wagering you would face. A redemption score rates whether payouts arrive and arrive on time, not a share of your money coming back. Neither one can stand in for the tests we have not run here. See the methodology.
Risk timeline
-
On watch: under active monitoring
-
Exited IA: stopped accepting players in the state
Ownership
Operating entity on record: Gateway Guardian Administrators, LLC. That is what the corporate record and the operator's own terms show, which is not the same as knowing who runs the brand day to day.
Score history
Every change to this operator's score, with the reason it was made:
- 2026-07-31 Redemption reliability: 33 → 33.
- 2026-06-14 Terms honesty: → 75. explicitly approved by Noah. Justification: The ToS prominently discloses mandatory arbitration and a class-action waiver in bold, capitalized text with an opt-out provision, which is transparent. However, the text is truncated before the Sweepstakes Rules and redemption details are provided, so those key terms are not fully visible. The lang
- 2026-06-14 Playthrough: → 50. explicitly approved by Noah. Justification: The provided Terms of Service text does not contain any specific information about playthrough or wagering requirements for Sweeps Coins. Since the text is silent on this factor, a conservative middle score is applied per the rubric instructions.
Show the full history (1 earlier change)
- 2026-06-10 Baseline published. Initial published score under methodology v1 (June 2026). Prior scores migrated from the legacy site.
Sites like Dara
Each one beats Dara on a single thing we can prove, and the card shows both sides of that comparison. If switching costs you something, that is on the card too. Nothing here is an affiliate link, and commission never decides who appears: the ranking is the same seven-factor Trust Score used everywhere else.
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CrownCoins
73/100 TRUSTED VERIFIED JUL 31, 2026We have watched more payouts land
We have watched 28 payouts land from CrownCoins, against 5 from Dara.
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LuckyHands
71/100 TRUSTED VERIFIED JUL 31, 2026Better score for paying out
LuckyHands scores 90 out of 100 for paying out, against 33 for Dara.
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Sportzino
73/100 TRUSTED VERIFIED JUL 31, 2026Better score for paying out
Sportzino scores 88 out of 100 for paying out, against 33 for Dara.
What it costs you We have not watched a payout land from Sportzino ourselves yet.
Keep researching: every cash-out we've logged · casinos that actually paid · how redemption works · current top-rated
Report your Dara experience
Cashed out, stalled, or stonewalled? Tell us what happened. No account needed, and we never publish your name. Dates, amounts, and methods are what make a report usable.
- You send it. It is not public, and it is not evidence yet.
- A person reads it, usually within 48 hours. Nothing posts automatically.
- If it holds up we publish it with the community reports for Dara. Some reports get logged and never published.
No report changes the Trust Score. The score is computed from the seven factors, and a submission cannot move it. Community reports also stay separate from our first-hand tests, which are cashouts we paid for and recorded ourselves.